Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 23:42
And a voice of a multitude being at ease [was] with her: and with the men of the common sort [were] brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
42. being at ease ] If the reading be correct “at ease” must refer to careless living, a sense which the word has not elsewhere. LXX. renders: and a sound of music they raised; but though the word “multitude” may mean sound or noise when joined to songs (Eze 26:13; Amo 5:23), it can hardly of itself mean music. LXX. may have read “they sang” for “at ease:” “and with a loud noise (Dan 10:6) they sang” a sense not suitable seeing the musicians must have been the harlots themselves, Isa 23:15-16. For the idea of multitude cf. Jer 5:7 end. If music were referred to the words would be better attached to the previous verse.
was with her ] Rather: therein or therewith. LXX. om.
and with the men Sabeans ] and with men. For Sabeans Heb. text reads “drunkards,” as marg., and from the nature of the passage, which speaks of a general practice, reference to any particular nation is less probable. Read as R.V. “and with (in addition to) men were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets” &c. Even for these vulgar guests the harlots, so indiscriminate was their whoredom, put bracelets on their hands and decked themselves. The idea that it was “men of the common sort” who adorned the harlots with bracelets as their hire (A.V. &c.) has little to recommend it, cf. Eze 16:31 seq. (the verb “they put” is mas. because fem. is not in use, Est 1:20). Even in Muhammed’s days the Arabs were addicted to drunkenness. LXX. om. “drunkards,” which might be a duplicate of “brought,” and certainly the mention of two classes here is rather improbable, the common sort and those brought from the wilderness might rather be the same, viz. the vulgar and petty peoples in contrast to the larger and nobler such as Babylon. The omission makes the clause difficult to construe. Corn, reconstructs the clause after Pro 7:16, making it a description of the “bed of love” ( Eze 23:17), but with little probability. If the adulterous act be anywhere referred to it is in Eze 23:43.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
A voice … – Or, The voice of the tumult was stilled thereby. The tumultuous cries of the invading army were stilled by these gifts. Others render being at ease, living carelessly.
Of the common sort – See the margin – a multitudinous crowd.
Sabeans – Better as in the margin. The Chaldaeans were noted for their intemperance and revellings.
The wilderness – The desert tract which the Chalaeans had to pass from the north of Mesopotamia to the holy land. This verse describes the temporary effects of the alliance of Israel and Judah with the Assyrians and Babylonians. All became quiet, the allies received gifts (incense and oil) from Israel and Judah, and these in turn brought riches to Palestine, bracelets upon their (i. e., Aholahs and Aholibahs) hands, and crowns upon their heads.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 42. And a voice of a multitude] This seems to be an account of an idolatrous festival, where a riotous multitude was assembled, and fellows of the baser sort, with bracelets on their arms and chaplets on their heads, performed the religious rites.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
A voice of a multitude; a shout for joy, that there was a treaty of peace between the Jews and the Chaldeans, or songs of gladness for the peace made, and confirmed, not in Gods name, but in the name of the idols.
Being at ease; free now from the fears of any wars to disquiet them.
Was with her; about the altar first, where the peace was sworn; about her bed next, where she feasted her new allies, that were great princes and nobles.
And with the men; and to these worthy the name of men, or beside these great and famous ones. Et avec ces hommes, as the French version.
Were brought Sabeans; messengers were sent to, or received, or entertained and caressed, from the roaring Sabeans, who lived on robberies, and spoiling the merchants; these were brought to Jerusalem from the wilderness, deserts of Arabia, a rude, barbarous, and idolatrous scum of men, described by their ill properties in geographers: of these were they that destroyed Jobs servants: in the verse described by their ornaments, bracelets about necks and arms, and crowns on their heads, which some think they bestowed upon this harlot.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
42. SabeansNot content withthe princely, handsome Assyrians, the sisters brought to themselvesthe rude robber hordes of Sabeans (Job1:15). The Keri, or Margin, reads “drunkards.”
upon their handsuponthe hands of the sisters, that is, they allured Samaria and Judah toworship their gods.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her,…. With Aholibah, with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin: or, “in her”, in Jerusalem; or “in it”, or “about it” h; the bed, or table, or both: these were either the people of the many nations that came in great numbers with the ambassadors, as their retinue, and for the greater splendour of them; and who came, not to make war, but in a peaceable way, being invited to come; or these were a confluence of the Jewish people, who came from all parts to see the public entry of these ambassadors; who were quite easy with it, since they came as the ambassadors of their allies and friends, in whose alliance they thought themselves safe and happy; and therefore welcomed them with their loud huzzas:
and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness; or, “and with men because of a multitude of men” i; that is, with those men that came from several parts on this occasion, for the sake of a greater number, and of making a greater appearance, the Sabeans that dwelt in the desert of Arabia were fetched from thence; or their neighbours round about Moab and Ammon, that dwelt in the wilderness, were sent for, and brought to make the solemnity the greater; so Jarchi; and to this sense the Targum renders it,
“because of the multitude of men that came round about on every side from the wilderness,”
Some render it, “drunkards from the wilderness” k; a parcel of drunken fellows that lived in the wilderness, rustic, brutish, people; these were brought as fit persons to drink healths, and roar on this occasion:
which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads; that is, the Jews put these ornaments upon the hands and heads of these men of the common sort, and the Sabeans with them, and these poor country drunken fellows too, that they might make the better appearance when they met and huzzaed the ambassadors at their entry; or which Sabeans and other foreigners put these ornaments on Aholah and Aholibah, and enticed them to the worship of their idols, and taught them idolatry.
h “in ea”, Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Junius Tremellius, Polanus “in illa”, Cocceius, Starckius, “in illo”, Piscator; “circa eam”, a Lapide. i “et cum viris ut multiplicarent homines” Pagninus; “ut adessent multi homines”, Munster; “prae multitudine hominum”, Tigurine version, Cocceius, Starckius; “propter multiplicare homines”, Vatablus. k “ebrosi ex deserto”, Junius Tremellius, Piscator, Polanus so R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 99. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(42) A voice of a multitude being at ease was with her.The words voice of a multitude, wherever else they occur (1Sa. 4:14; Isa. 13:4; Isa. 33:3; Dan. 10:6), mean a loud tumult, and even the word here used for multitude, when alone, always means a boisterous multitude. Translate The voice of the tumult was stilled thereat: i.e., the tumult of the invading army was stilled by the gifts of Israel, a fact of which there is frequent record in the history. The phrase translated with her is rendered thereby in Gen. 24:14.
Men of the common sort is better rendered in the margin, the multitude of men; and Sabeans is not a proper name, but, as in the margin, drunkards. They are represented as from the wilderness, not as their home, but as the region through which they passed in marching to Juda. The whole sense of the verse is that the conquerors attacking the land were satisfied with heavy tribute, and having received this, many of the warriors gave themselves up to drunkenness and debauchery, decking out their tributary with meretricious ornaments.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
42. And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her The LXX. reads, And with a loud noise did they sing therein.
And with the men Sabeans Hebrews with men drunkards. From the earliest days harlotry and drunkenness have been closely associated.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And the voice of a partying crowd (a multitude being at ease) was with her, and with men of a common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness. And they put bracelets on their hands and beautiful crown on their heads.”
Treaties were not only made with the larger nations. Necessity produced strange bedfellows, and they both proved willing to ally themselves with any who they felt could help them. Their companions had slowly sunk from the desirable young men of Eze 23:6; Eze 23:12; Eze 23:23 to common men and desert-dwellers, and wilderness drunkards, such as Arabians, Moabites, Ammonites and Edomites. But these too were willing to bring them gifts and pamper them. Their downward descent reflects what was often the lot of the prostitute as she lost her beauty, bedfellows who were less and less pleasant.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 23:42. And a voice, &c. And the voices of men singing harmoniously sounded with them, together with a multitude of Sabaeans, who came from the wilderness. Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Eze 23:42 And a voice of a multitude being at ease [was] with her: and with the men of the common sort [were] brought Sabeans from the wilderness, which put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
Ver. 42. And a voice of a multitude being at ease. ] Or, Being jolly and jocund, as at brothel houses.
And with the men of the common, sort.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
multitude, &c. = a careless throng.
with her: or, in her: i.e. in Jerusalem.
men of the common sort = men out of the mass of mankind.
men. Hebrew, plural of ‘enosh, App-14.
the common sort. Hebrew. ‘adam. App-14.
Sabeans. Hebrew text reads “drunkards”, But margin, and some codices, with three early printed editions, read “Sebeans”.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
a voice: This seems to be an account of an idolatrous festival, perhaps that of Bacchus; in which a riotous and drunken multitude assembled, adorned with bracelets and chaplets, accompanied with music, songs, and dances. Exo 32:6, Exo 32:18, Exo 32:19, Hos 13:6, Amo 6:1-6
common sort: Heb. multitude of men
were brought: Job 1:15, Joe 3:8
Sabeans: or, drunkards
bracelets: Eze 16:11, Eze 16:12, Rev 12:3
Reciprocal: Isa 45:14 – the Sabeans Isa 65:11 – prepare
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Eze 23:42. So inordinate were Aholah and Akolibah that they accepted men of both high and low rank. In order to give themselves an appearance of dignity, these men adorned themselves with hand decorations, and for the appearance of royal standing they wore crowns on their heads.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
23:42 And a voice of a multitude being at ease [was] with her: and with the men of the common sort [were] brought {r} Sabeans from the wilderness, who put bracelets upon their hands, and beautiful crowns upon their heads.
(r) Who would teach the manner of worshipping their gods.